Home-Made Simple

Adding Color and Texture
When revitalizing a space, incorporating new hues and textural materials is a quick and simple way to enhance your room. Whether it’s throw pillows or window treatments, consider these four décor principles as you choose your pieces.

* Rule of three: If you’re adding a new color that doesn’t yet exist in your room, incorporate it in at least three locations. For example, add vibrant and trendy mustard yellow to a neutral color palette of white and grey. Try using a mustard yellow chenille throw, drapes and decorative accent pillows.

* Yin and yang: It can often seem difficult to strike the right balance between two contradictory colors. No matter your shades of choice—think plum and pale green; charcoal grey and bright orange; and pale pink and dark brown as striking combinations—you can find harmony among your hues by pairing different textiles that contain the same color. For accent pillows, choose a patterned piece that contains both of your colors, then place it alongside a solid or more graphic pillow that prominently showcases one of your colors.

* Cross-pollinate: For a hip, artistic effect that maintains a sense of uniformity, adhere to the principle of same theme, different colors. Consider upholstering all of your dining room chairs in striped patterns, but vary the color palette and band widths. Playing with a host of textiles in the floral or polka dot family achieves this same fun, nuanced effect.

* Don't be afraid of the magic: When it comes to mixing and matching, it’s all about trusting your own eye. If you can “feel” the benefit of an unlikely combination, you’ve done your job correctly. Trust your instincts and add and remove items to your liking—remember, it’s your space and nobody else’s.